Showing animals affection can be a dangerous game. Pet the wrong place, and all hell breaks loose. Rub a dog on the belly, and it's yours forever. Rub a cat in the same place, and you might just get your face scratched off.
When you get it right, petting your animal can help you to bond, and it turns out, it's not only cats and dogs that enjoy being petted. An adorable piglet has gone viral because of its love of belly scratches, and his face in the video says it all.
Shared to Reddit's r/aww forum on Monday by user SplitLevel17, the short clip shows a piglet named Charlie falling over when getting his belly scratched.
"Our boy when he was just a little guy. 100lbs later and he still falls over when you scratch his belly," SplitLevel17 wrote alongside the video. The post has received 75,000 upvotes and 800 comments in less than 24 hours.
"Literally the cutest thing I've ever seen," said H4EKE.
"His little tail when you scratch his belly! Omg this piggy is to die for!" wrote Kellidra.
"We must protect him at all costs," commented RubyU_U.
Keeping pigs as pets has grown in popularity in the last decade, with the trend often attributed to celebrities and social media. The most popular breeds are pot-bellied pigs, miniature pigs and kune kune pigs.
Although there has yet to be a formal census of pet pigs in the U.S., the number is estimated to be between 250,000 and 1 million. However, it is also believed that around 90 percent are abandoned or surrendered to animal sanctuaries, with many owners unprepared for the realities of caring for a pig.
They are intelligent animals that can easily become bored and unhappy, which can then escalate into aggressive or destructive tendencies if they are not given enough attention. Trips to the vet—and the accompanying bills—are also more complicated, with not every veterinarian qualified to treat pigs.
But, given the right love and care, pigs can be affectionate, playful and loyal companions. And despite their reputation, they are also clean and odor-free pets that are easy to train.
Reddit users demanded to see Charlie now he's all grown up, to which SplitLevel17 was happy to oblige.
In the comments, he wrote: "My bad guys…I didn't realize you wanted to see him today too!
"Here is Charlie today! Well, over the winter anyway."
He shared a link to Charlie who might be full-sized now, but the over 100lbs pig still flops when offered a belly rub.
LBinSF said: "BIG piggie still makes the same cute little snorts!"
Vorander commented, "His little happy noises are everything," while Adwin-afram wrote, "That pig is living the life."
Newsweek has reached out to u/SplitLevel17 for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
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